


To Build A Home

by Tekuzumo



Category: GOT7
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Child Abandonment, Child Kim Yugyeom, Child Neglect, Childhood Trauma, Established Relationship, Lack of Communication, M/M, Male Lactation, Married Couple, Married Life, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Mild Sexual Content, Mpreg, Relationship Problems, Tags May Change
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-12
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-18 23:47:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,629
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29990673
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tekuzumo/pseuds/Tekuzumo
Summary: (Aka A Heart's Purpose)It all started when Jackson and Jinyoung went to Mark and Jaebeom's to celebrate the twins' third birthday, that Jinyoung got it into his head that he wanted to be a father. Turning Jackson's worst nightmare into a reality.
Relationships: Im Jaebum | JB/Mark Tuan, Minor or Background Relationship(s), Park Jinyoung/Jackson Wang
Comments: 10
Kudos: 18





	To Build A Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before anything else happens, I want to apologize to those who may or may not have read this work in the past. I wasn't in the mood to write the story at all and then I deleted it and then I felt horrible so I started plotting it better until I was confident enough to post it again. I'm so very sorry, y'all. Please look past this and enjoy the story.

“Sseun-ah! If we’re late, Jaebeom and Mark hyung will literally disown us!” Jinyoung called from his spot at the front door.

“Would you just let me find my shoes?!” Jackson yelled back from their room.

“If it weren’t for your inability to keep them at the door, you would’ve found them a lot faster!”

“Not constructive, Nyoung-ah!”

Jinyoung heaved a sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. He loved the man but there were some moments in their three and a half years of marriage that made Jinyoung question whether or not he married an adult or a child. Or a really beautiful man-child. He'd never trade Jackson for the world, he was just curious.

It took Jackson another five minutes to find his shoes and Jinyoung could already feel the glares of disappointment from their hyungs. He gave Jinyoung a sarcastic grin as he waved the loafers in Jinyoung's face, using the alpha's firm chest as support while he shucked them on.

After a bit of struggling, Jackson managed to put on his shoes and grabbed the perfectly wrapped birthday presents that sat ready and waiting by the door. He went to fixing Jinyoung's clothes and hair, a habit he's created for when knows he's in the wrong, wants to apologize, but doesn't want to look his husband in the eyes.

"Would you quit worrying? We got Hyunjin and Minho the cutest presents this year," said Jackson as he fixed the tips of Jinyoung's growing bangs. "I'm sure Jaebeom and Mark hyung won't mind if we're--,"

"Thirteen minutes late?" Jinyoung interjected.

Jackson sucked on his teeth. "It's my nephews' third birthday! Is it a crime to look as fashionable as I can?" Jackson points to the expensive brand of loafers he received as a gift from his manager last Christmas. "These are my good shoes. I can't go to an event without them."

"It's a shame that neither Hyunjin, Minho, their parents, or myself will remember you wearing them. For all we know, they'll get puked on by the end of the night," Jinyoung said spitefully. Making Jackson gasp and Jinyoung erupt with a fit of laughter.

"Come on, baby. We're already late," said Jinyoung as he wrapped his arm around Jackson's shoulders and led him out the door to the car.

* * *

Sure enough, the older couple scolded them for coming late to the twins' party but were immediately swooned by the youngers' gifts. Designer blankets, clothing, and baby bags--that felt more like a gift to the parents more than it did to the children--were--as Jackson had expected--the perfect presents to bring to a party the children in question would never remember.

It was both a sad yet funny thought to Jinyoung while he sat on the couch with one of his nephews on his knee. Minho was a good baby. Jinyoung can still remember the day he and his younger twin were born. He'd never seen Jaebeom in such a wreck, never heard Mark scream so loud, and never prayed so hard for such a strenuous night to be over.

While Hyunjin wasted no time mutilating the eardrums of those around him, Minho was a soft baby who quietly cooed and smiled when he was placed into his Papa's arms. From then on, Jinyoung watched the twins grow alongside their parents. Hyunjin had picked up pretty much all of Jaebeom's bad habits while Minho was the softer more intuitive one.

With all their differences, the boys still managed to communicate, interact, and see each other as equals. It made Jinyoung all warm and happy on the inside when he watched the two and made him wonder what it would be like if he and Jackson had a pair of twins. Or just a child. Whose features would they inherit the most, the sound of their laugh, or the scent of their skin? Whether they'd grow up to be an alpha, a beta, or an omega.

If they'd want to be a pediatrician like their Daddy or a model like their Papa. Such thoughts invaded Jinyoung's mind during his breaks, his meals, showers, and even his dreams. To see bright little bundles of love and joy running around on two feet and making a permanent spot next to their Papa in his heart. But his mother taught him to put his omega first and foremost when deciding the right time to have a child. It would all be up to Jackson in the end anyway.

"What's got you so deep in thought, Nyoungie?" asked Jaebeom as he took a seat next to him, holding his arms out for Minho who gladly accepted them.

"Just work is all. I'm thinking about taking fewer shifts and finding ways to sneak into the NICU without you noticing," Jinyoung joked and Jaebeom threw his head back in laughter.

"What is with you and babies, man? You wanna be a dad that badly, ask Jackson and see if he's ready," said Jaebeom.

Jinyoung shrugged. "It's easier said than done, hyung. Jackson's doing really well with his agency and I don't want to mess things up when he's just getting started. Remember how his boss reacted to him getting married and claimed? Sseunie was nearly fired because of that."

"Well, don't you think that now, since he's claimed, having a child won't be seen as an issue or a scandal?" Jaebeom asked as he tried and failed to get Hyunjin--who had appeared out of nowhere--to stop pulling his hair.

"I just don't want to deal with the hassle of explaining or planning anything. Sseun-ah's not good with stress so having a baby would be harder for him than anyone else. Plus he'd have to get his body back into model-shape after the pregnancy." Jinyoung took Hyunjin from his Daddy's lap and set him on his own. Giving him his watch to occupy the kid's attention.

"I guess it would be a trial of sorts. But come on, man. Do you have any idea how much it breaks my heart to see you hold a newborn for too long or have that mopey face when a kid has to leave? You look freaking pathetic," said Jaebeom.

Jinyoung frowned. "It's not like I don't feel pathetic too, you know."

"What makes you feel pathetic?" Jackson asked as he, BamBam, and Youngjae made their way to the coffee table with the food.

Jinyoung had to calm his pounding heart before he answered. "The fact that I could never hold my drink down the way Jaebeom hyung can," he lied with his best scrunched-nosed smile. The one that Jackson dies for.

"Aw, my Jinyoungie," Jackson cooed as he squeezed his husband's cheeks. "Don't worry, Nyoungie. I won't see you as any less of an alpha if you can't hold your drink. You could never be pathetic in my eyes, my prince," said Jackson right before he gave Jinyoung a quick peck on his smiling lips.

Bambam and Youngjae proceeded to make gagging noises while Jaebeom and the twins laughed at the younger ones getting smacked on their backs by Mark. Jackson took a seat next to Jinyoung and Hyunjin saw it as a great opportunity to squat on his uncle's lap.

The look of discomfort on Jackson's face is one that no meme on the internet could hold a candle to. He tapped Jinyoung's knee numerous times before the alpha picked up the toddler and put Jackson out of his misery.

"You're lucky his parents didn't see you," Jinyoung whispered through clenched teeth.

"Everyone here already knows how I feel about," Jackson swallows hard before answering as if the word itself would make him puke. "Children. I can't stand them because they don't like me."

"Who says they don't like you? Minho and Hyunjin love you," Jinyoung countered.

"I know and I love them for it but only because they are the children of our closest friends. We're their god-parents for goodness sake."

"But?"

Jackson sighs and shakes his head. "But I can't imagine having to live with my own child. I can't take two of me or someone else taking up your attention. You're mine, all mine and no one else's," said Jackson as he linked his arms in Jinyoung's and nestled his head on his shoulder.

Jinyoung was about to retaliate but the others started singing as the candles were lit and the lights were turned off. The twins' faces were beaming with excitement as their parents tried to keep them from blowing out the candles, smashing the cake, and looking anywhere other than Youngjae's camera lens. Though they seemed to be struggling, Jinyoung could tell that they enjoyed the experience.

To be able to hold their little ones for another year, to have more parties for the future until their babies were grown men with their own families and birthday disasters. He had never wanted to be in their position more than he did then as the twins simultaneously grab their parents' faces and give them loud, wet kisses right before the song came to a close and the candles were blown out.

* * *

The drive back home was mostly Jackson talking about something Mark told him about a person at work and that his manager won't stop bugging him about a new diet he wanted Jackson to try. These types of conversations aren't new to Jinyoung and to say that he hates them wouldn't entirely be true. He loves to hear Jackson talk.

Anything the man says is accompanied by the cutest--sometimes overexaggerated--hand gestures, his on-point impressions and impersonations, and the cackle that drives Jinyoung crazy at the end of every story. When he's not thinking about work or having children, he's thinking about hearing one of Jackson's stories when he gets home and eats everything Jinyoung cooks for him without regret.

Jackson interlocked their fingers and kissed the back of Jinyoung's hand before letting out a satisfied exhale.

"My heats coming up soon. Will you be off on Thursday?" he asked sweetly.

Jinyoung faced his husband in confusion. "I thought you were taking suppressants."

"I am but I haven't this entire week. I just missed you inside me is all," said Jackson before he faced Jinyoung with a frown. "What? You don't want to sleep with me or something? Am I not prettier than all the nurses at your workplace?"

"It's not that, Sseunie. You know that," Jinyoung chuckled.

"Then why don't you want to sleep with me?" Jackson pressed.

"It's not that I don't want to sleep with you, babe. It's just...,"

Jinyoung's not actually sure where to go from there. In the first year of their marriage, there was never a heat or rut that went by without the couple spending the night in each others' arms with Jinyoung's knot safely inside Jackson's pouch. They blamed it on the high of finally becoming an official married couple after dating for seven years.

But as time passed and Jackson's popularity was on the rise, the times they were able to sleep together became next to nill. What made it worse was the lack of results. Results being the fact that Jackson never experienced any changes in his body or symptoms that might relate to pregnancy. When their second anniversary came around, Jackson told Jinyoung that he was on pills and didn't want heats to get in the way of work.

Jackson said it was about work, but Jinyoung always felt that it ran deeper than that. That Jackson was going through some internal turmoil that he masked with being selfish and not wanting to share Jinyoung and raise a child that shared his personality. He can hear Jackson call his name and leaves those thoughts in the back of his mind where they belong.

"What, Sseunie?"

"It's just what? You didn't answer my question and just drifted off somewhere. Are you really no longer attracted to me?" asked Jackson. Worry marring his features.

"It's not that, Jackson. I was just surprised that you wanted me to knot you again," Jinyoung went for a closing response, hoping Jackson would drop the subject. But the man-child kept going.

"What's so surprising about it? It's not like we're planning to have kids or something. I started taking sups because of work. If I went into heat in front of everyone at the level I was at before, they wouldn't have thought twice about kicking me out for good," Jackson let go of Jinyoung's hand and wrapped his arms around Jinyoung's. "But I'm a professional now. One they wouldn't be able to fire even if they wanted to. I miss you, Nyoungie. Let's go back to spending our wild nights together, hm?"

"What's the point if we're not planning on having kids?" Jinyoung subtly grits but immediately regrets it when Jackson pulls away from him.

"Jinyoungie, I already told you I didn't want to have kids. We tried for a whole year and there were no results. For all we know, I can't have any," said Jackson.

"Don't say that. Please, don't say that," Jinyoung's heart had a mind of its own at times. Talking when no one asked it to speak.

Out of all the horror movies Jaebeom forced Jinyoung to watch, nothing in this world terrified him more than the thought of Jackson not being able to carry pups. _His_ pups to be exact.

"Why don't you want to have kids? What's so wrong with having a child who's just like you? I would love a kid that's just like you," said Jinyoung.

Jackson groaned. "Nyoung-ah--,"

"Think about it. Imagine a kid running around our house with your eyes and my cheeks? Someone calling us their parents, loving us, and depending on us? Someone who _we_ would raise together to be an amazing person? Don't you want that?" asked Jinyoung.

"No. I don't. In fact, that's the last thing I want," Jackson spat before turning to face the window.

"Explain to me why something so beautiful would be the last thing you want. Why would the whole purpose of mating and marriage be the last thing you want?"

Jackson went rigid. His head turned back to Jinyoung in a slow and daunting manner that sent chills up the alpha's spine. Right before the chill disappeared and was replaced by guilt when Jinyoung saw the wetness in Jackson's eyes.

"The whole purpose of mating and marriage for you is to have a child? Am I your breeder? Do you sleep with me just so your bloodline will continue to roam the earth? Am I responsible for continuing the Park family lineage?!" Jackson all but shouts.

"That's not what I meant to say,"

"Then _what_ did you mean to say, Jinyoung?!"

"I want kids! I want to be a father to our children. I want to lose sleep from hearing them cry all night. I want to get my clothes puked on, have my pants covered in dirt from playing with them outside. Teach them to read and write, have birthday parties, see their first steps. I want that. I want that so much, it's killing me, Jackson," said Jinyoung.

"Then am I not enough for you? You said I owned your heart when we got married. It's mine and I don't want to share it with anyone else. Even if it's my own child," said Jackson.

Jinyoung felt drained emotionally and physically. He and Jackson had had their share of fights over the stupidest things and always made up in bed at night. But the sun's gone down and they're sitting in their car in front of their home of a few years, stuck on a bridge with nowhere else to go but straight ahead. Jinyoung scrubs his face and runs a hand through his bangs.

He turned to look at his mate who was facing the window and subtly wiping at his face. Jinyoung hated seeing Jackson cry. He hated it, even more, when he was the cause of it. Whether he picked the sad movie, called him a goober, or made a savage remark on his outfit, Jackson would cry and Jinyoung would want to kill himself.

He took Jackson's hands in both of his and kissed his knuckles lovingly.

"I own your heart too. It's mine too and I don't want to share it with anyone else either. But that's what hearts are for. They're for sharing and holding all the big and little things that mean so much to us. Since they can't only have one, don't you think we could share our hearts for our little one to have all the love they need?" Jinyoung asked in a tender tone. The one that he uses when he's trying to get Jackson to sleep.

Jackson sniffles and shakes his head. "I...I don't think I can," he whimpers.

"You can't what, my heart?" asked Jinyoung, invoking the power pet names as he cupped Jackson's cheek and wiped a stray tear.

"I don't think I can...that I can...share your heart," said Jackson.

Jinyoung pulled his mate into a hug and gently patted his back. "I know you can, Jackson. You're one of the kindest people I know. And I know that if you just give it a chance, you can share my heart."

"Don't count on it. I'm extremely selfish when I want to be," Jackson sniffled and Jinyoung laughed as he planted soft kisses on his hair.

* * *

Jinyoung trudges into the care center with his thermos full of steaming coffee--that will most likely be finished in the next two hours--, running his hands through the growing mop on his head as he read the morning texts from Jackson. The older man had an early shoot and left before Jinyoung could even say goodbye. It stopped causing him physical pain after about six months and has become a dull ache in his chest when he wakes up to an empty bed.

_**It's Thursday!!** _  
_**I'm going 2 b @ work 4 a while but I'll b home by 8** _  
_**I <3 u SOOO much!!** _

A smile creeps onto Jinyoung's lips before he can stop it. Jackson could be a pain to deal with at times, but his mate had a knack for getting Jinyoung to forget about all the trouble he may have caused with a single "I love you". It's words like this that help the young alpha get through his enjoyable but tiring job. He answers Jackson's text as he swipes his entrance card and heads to the locker room to get changed into his scrubs. Jaebeom and Youngjae are already there, both wearing matching expressions of distress.

"Hyung, what happened? Did your team lose a game or something?" Jinyoung asks as he starts to undress.

"If only that were the case, hyung," Youngjae sighs as he leans against the lockers. Now Jinyoung's even more confused.

"What happened? Did one of the babies...?" Jinyoung doesn't want to finish that sentence.

At the care center, they get all sorts of young couples, single mothers, and abandon children. Most of the abandoned little ones are sick with illnesses that appeared due to being forgotten by their parents. It breaks Jinyoung's heart to think about it but it brings him joy to know that he's not only ensuring the safety and health of the children but also helping them find a proper home. There are good days and bad days and Jinyoung counts all the bad days as when one of the children...can't make it.

He can feel Jaebeom's hands shaking his shoulders lightly and calling his name, snapping him out of his previous trance. "None of the babies died, Nyoung-ah. They're all okay," Jaebeom said in a soothing tone that he reserves for young employees who can't bear the pain.

"All of them except for little Yunho," Youngjae says more to himself than to his senior.

"What happened to Yunho?" Jinyoung asked as he pushed past Jaebeom to look at Youngjae.

"His parents--you remember Seonghwa and Hongjoon, right?" Youngjae asked and Jinyoung nodded.

Seonghwa was young and terrified that he had not only presented late but was now pregnant with his boyfriend's child. Hongjoon was a good kid but Jinyoung could already tell that he wasn't ready to take on the responsibility of being a father. After six years of working in this field--seeing the alphas who came in with their family and left alone--, foreseeing that the one responsible wouldn't be there for the mother and child, in the end, has become his sixth sense.

"Well, we went to their room last night and found Seonghwa crying his eyes out. Hongjoon wasn't there. Then this morning, Seonghwa wasn't there either. They abandoned Yunho in the end. Just as I feared they would," said Youngjae.

"They're handling Yunho right now and putting him into the system. Hopefully, he'll be adopted soon, since he's only two months," said Jaebeom with a comforting pat on Jinyoung's shoulder.

"I could take him," Jinyoung mutters more to himself than the other two.

"That's a great idea, hyung! Jackson hyung's always complaining about having to go through pregnancy anyways. You taking him would be--,"

"A disaster," Jaebeom interrupts Youngjae and flicks him on the forehead, making the young beta whimper in pain. "Adopting a kid is like buying a new house or bringing a brand new car home. It's something everyone has to be notified of and on board with or you'll end up hurting somebody in the process. I know you'd love to take him, Nyoungie. But think about how Jackson would react to that."

"Hyung, you sound like you know this from experience," Youngjae giggled and was promptly stuck in a headlock by Jaebeom only seconds later.

"I'm always thinking about how Jackson will react," Jinyoung sighed, almost woefully.

* * *

_It's not gross. It's not weird, or creepy, and it's definitely not gross!_

"Are you thinking it's gross to breastfeed my child?" Mark all but growls and Jackson straightens on the park bench where they have a perfect view of the entire playground and the twins.

"No! No, I would never!" said Jackson with a queasy smile on his face. "But isn't Nayeon too old to be breastfed?"

"I read that breastfeeding a child until they're about three will help them develop faster. My mom did the same for me," said Mark as Nayeon released his nipple with a loud pop before rolling off her Papa's lap and running in her older brothers' direction.

Jackson helps Mark clean himself while watching in absolute wonderment at how the man can manage so well with twin boys, a rigorous daughter, and another baby on the way. It was admirable, to say the least. He loved seeing the shape of his hyung's belly, noticing the glow of his skin in the late summer weather, and being with him during his hysterical mood swings.

Mark made pregnancy look like a comedy and after the first two, Jackson can't help but wonder if the whole affair weren't as dramatic as most omegas made it seem. After his and Jinyoung's conversation the week before, Jackson's started to think a lot about children and pregnancy and it irks him to his very core. Why on earth would Jinyoung bring up something like that out of nowhere? He's known for a while that his mate had an unnatural attraction to children or anything that looked like it needed help.

He saved Jackson from his own loneliness and resentment and swore to love only him for the rest of his life. It made the omega feel like the most valued person in the world after receiving Jinyoung's mark on their wedding night, sealing them as one for always and eternity. They've been happily married and avoiding this problem for almost two years after a year of failed attempts. Why did he suddenly want to try again?

"Are you gonna sit there frowning all day or are you gonna tell me what's on your mind?" Mark asked, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"It's nothing, hyung," Jackson sighed and lied back on the bench, closing his eyes as the soft wind blew past them.

"It's obviously something. Why do you think you came here during your precious lunch break? You have something on your mind and you want to share it with me. Tell me what's going on," Mark said in such a parent tone.

Jackson sat but up and put his head on Mark's shoulder, taking in the view of the little ones running around the playground. The kids took after Jaebeom, there was no doubt about it, but they held some of Mark's characteristics as well. (Well, everyone except Hyunjin). Jackson finds himself replaying the line from last week's conversation as he watches them play in the woodchips and climb up the big kids' slide.

_"Imagine a kid running around our house with your eyes and my cheeks?"_

Jackson groans, knowing that would be the cutest little brat to have ever walked the face of the earth.

"While we were driving home from the party, I told Jinyoung that I was having a heat soon. You know I've been taking meds to keep those away. It's for work and stuff. But he said he didn't see the point of us spending my heat together if we weren't planning on having kids anyway. It really pissed me off and made me realize that he's based our entire relationship on children. That's all he wants," Jackson moped.

"I'm pretty sure that's not true, Gaga," said Mark.

"It is! He said it to my face! That the whole purpose of mating and marriage is to have children like some nobleman of Joseon!" said Jackson, not even realizing that he was standing until Mark pulled him back down on the bench.

"What's so bad about having kids? Why do you diss it so much?" asked Mark.

"Because I hate it! I hate kids and the thought of having them. I can never have a child,"

"Is it really because you don't want to or because you don't think you can?"

Jackson stills. It's a dark thought that had been looming over his head ever since their first attempt failed. In the past, he wanted to try. Wanted to hold Jinyoung's pups and hand them to him after he had a safe delivery. Wanted to see them playing in their backyard or on the playground, both they and their father wearing matching smiles with hereditary crow's feet.

But after so many tries--and an unexpected realization--Jackson couldn't stand the thought of children. Can't stand the thought of having to share the love he was afraid to accept and treasured so deeply. Jaebeom's kids looked like him but acted like Mark. What if his children looked like Jinyoung but acted like him? What if he started feeling the same way _that_ person did and ended doing a horrible thing to his child?

Or worse. What if he couldn't have a pup in the first place? How horrible would Jinyoung feel? What would he do? Would he throw Jackson away and leave him for dead as Jackson was so used to? Would he get a surrogate omega that would hold the pups he wanted so much? They would look like them and have zero connection to Jackson at all. Would Jinyoung love that omega more?

"What if I can't? What if I can't have a child and Jinyoung leaves me? What if he abandons me for someone else? Hyung, I wouldn't be able to live. I can't live or love without Jinyoung. I would never be able to love a child without Jinyoung. What am I supposed to do, hyung? What am I supposed to do?" Jackson begins to sob and Mark pulls him into a warm hug as he cries into his shoulder.

"Baby, you won't have a kid with those kinds of thoughts," said Mark as he pulled back to wipe Jackson's tears with tender strokes. "You need to stay positive in times like this or else your body will react to your fears and ruin your chances. It's all about having mental stability."

"What good will it be to raise a kid I can't love? What if my evil genes end up hurting them somehow? I don't want to hurt something that belongs to Jinyoung," Jackson sniffed.

Mark brushes the hair out of Jackson's face--the way Jackson's seen him do to the twins countless times--with a sigh and pats his head. "Jinyoung's not gonna force you to have kids, no matter how much he wants them. Don't you know your husband? As for the "evil genes" thing, you're being paranoid over something that won't happen unless you let it. Could you think about Jinyoung for once, though? Next to Jaebeom, he's the sweetest alpha I've ever had the pleasure of knowing. How could you withhold something he wants so much from him?"

Jackson frowns. "You just said he wouldn't force me,"

"Yeah, him. Not me," said Mark. "At least try to put yourself in his shoes. Love is all about sacrificing your desires for the person you care about and vice versa. Jinyoung's been doing all the sacrificing thus far. It's about time you pay your due."

Jackson pondered on Mark's words on his way back to the studio. Maybe he was being paranoid for no reason and making up excuses, using his past as the glue to hold all of his fears and insecurities together. Maybe he could if he tried. If he set aside his selfish emotions and put Jinyoung's wants before his own, they could truly be happy.

* * *

Jinyoung couldn't eat and ended up spending his lunch hour with his chin hooked on Hyunwoo's shoulder, watching the older man devour a salad while checking the news. His friends have stopped asking him what's wrong and allowed him to sulk the way he always did when something unpleasant happened to one of the children at the center. Chanyeol tosses him a red bean bun but he pushes it away and snuggles deeper into Hyunwoo's neck.

"Jinyoung, stuff like this happens on a daily basis. You have to move on, buddy. Eat something so you can keep your strength for the next shift," the taller alpha said, his wide eyes soft with concern.

"I'm not hungry. I can't eat when I don't know whether Yunho's eaten or not," Jinyoung mopes, causing Jaebeom and Yoongi to roll their eyes.

"I've never seen an alpha act like this when it comes to kids," Hyunwoo muttered before shoving Jinyoung's head off his shoulder and making the younger whine. "Look, if you want to be a dad so badly, have your own kids like the rest of us. You've been married for three years now. You should at least have one pup pulling your hair out."

Jinyoung frowns at his elder and slumps his upper half onto the table. "I can't have pups. Jackson doesn't want any yet so I have to wait until he does."

"Same excuse every time, isn't it?" Hyunwoo asked in a patronizing tone. "Who wears the pants in your home anyway? Do you let your omega lead you around by a leash or what?"

"Hyung, chill. That's not how it is," said Jaebeom.

"Then how is it? Jinyoung, explain yourself," Hyunwoo pressed and Jinyoung makes an attempt to hide under the table but is stopped by his senior. "Jinyoung, take initiative! You're the alpha in this relationship. You have the right to demand that your mate give you a child. I know you're a pushover who doesn't like to bother even the closest people to you but think about everything you put up with,"

"It won't work, hyung," said Yoongi as he licked the tip of his spoon. "Our Jinyoungie is a puppy who married a tiger. How can a puppy stand up to a mankiller?" Yoongi snickers before earning a smack to each arm from Chanyeol and Jaebeom.

"I didn't marry a mankiller! Jackson's just--,"

"Just what? Domineering? Disrespectful? Selfish and inconsiderate?" Hyunwoo says it as if he's reading a physical list.

"You can't talk about my mate like that, hyung!" Jinyoung shouts, surprising the others around him.

"Okay, I'll admit that was out of line," said Hyunwoo with his hands raised in surrender. "But if Jackson gets it into his head that he can control you, then you have a problem. Everyone has their place. You have yours as the alpha and Jackson has his as the _omega_. Times may have changed but that fact remains the same. If Jackson didn't want to deal with it, he shouldn't have gotten married in the first place."

"Hyung, please. That's enough. You're making Jinyoung feel worse than when he got here," said Jaebeom.

Hyunwoo sighs with an eye roll as he picks up his tray to leave. Chanyeol and Yoongi follow him and bid their coworkers goodbye as they head to their next shifts.

* * *

"Do you think I'm a pushover?" Jinyoung asks as he and Jaebeom walked side by side to their cars in the parking lot.

Jaebeom sighs and throws an arm over Jinyoung's shoulder. "No, Jinyoungie. You're just..." Jaebeom hums for a minute before snapping his fingers and shoots a finger gun at his best friend. "Soft. You're a softie, not a pushover. You've been that way since we were kids and you haven't really changed since then."

Jinyoung groans with a whine before leaning on Jaebeom's shoulder. "I just didn't want Jackson to think I was controlling him. I wanted him to feel as comfortable as possible so I let him do whatever he wanted."

"Look at how well that turned out," Jaebeom muttered and got a hit from Jinyoung.

"Not you too! I got enough from Hyunwoo hyung already!" the younger whined.

"Okay, okay. And don't hold it against Hyunwoo hyung so much. He was raised in a traditional home and has beliefs that don't usually line up with us modern folk. But he has a point, dude. Jackson does take advantage of your kindness and uses his quirks against you," said Jaebeom.

Jinyoung can't deny that fact. Jackson's happiness had always been first and foremost for the entirety of their relationship, making Jinyoung forget that he also had wishes and desires. To say that he allows himself to be controlled by his mate was a bit of a stretch, but he had to admit that he was always a little too willing, a little too ready to put aside what he wanted and do whatever Jackson wanted.

"I thought it made me a good husband. To put my mate first no matter what. I thought it would make us stronger, make Jackson trust me more, and maybe..."

"Maybe he'd be willing to give you a kid in the end?" Jaebeom finished his sentence for him.

Jinyoung nodded, keeping his head down so his hyung wouldn't see the wetness in his eyes.

"I don't know what to tell you, Jin-ah. Mark's good at consoling while I'm good at listening. All I can say is that I hope you two can get through this rough patch and be a happy family when this is over," said Jaebeom as he walked ahead to his car.

The entire ride home, Jinyoung couldn't get the words of his seniors out of his head. They rang in his ears as he looked at his phone, seeing a text from Jackson saying he'd be home late because their boss wanted to take them out to dinner. Jinyoung texted him back, telling him he'd stay up and wait for him to come home with an "I love you" at the end.

There are suddenly headlights facing him and car horns blaring from every side. His heart nearly stops as he makes a sharp turn onto an abandoned road leading into a tunnel. He manages to get a foot on the breaks and steps on it like he's got led in his soles. His heart starts beating again as he clutches his chest in an attempt to calm down. His phone dings. It's Jackson's ringtone and he's quick to check the message.

**_I love you more, my heart._ **

Tears spring to his eyes at the thought of Jackson receiving the news that he was found dead in a car accident. What would he do if Jinyoung weren't there to love and protect him? Would he be able to survive? For how long would he mourn his death? Would he find love elsewhere, with someone who wouldn't nag him about having a child all the time? Jinyoung sobs on the steering wheel. Each breath coming out as if it were his last.

He can feel the fear in his bones, in his chest, and even hear it in his ears. Wait, no. Those aren't his sobs. It's a sound he's more than familiar with but not one he should be hearing in a tunnel on an abandoned road when the sun is down. Jinyoung holds his breath to hear for the sound again and sure enough, it's a baby's cry. After struggling with his seat belt for a minute, Jinyoung scrambles out of his car and walks in the direction of the sound.

To his utter and total surprise, parked on the side of the road near the entrance was a stroller. It releases another cry and Jinyoung's feet are moving towards it before his brain can stop him. The crying is louder now that he's closer, accompanied by the most pitiful coughs that Jinyoung's ever heard, bringing back his previous tears.

He finally made it to the stroller and turns it around gently to find a baby no more than six or seven months screaming its head off. Jinyoung's hands are the next to move without his permission as he reaches out to unbuckle the wailing child from its stroller. Their clothes are wet from sweat, urine, and tears along with other fluids.

"Hey, hey. It's okay, you're okay now. I'm here, sweetie. Jinyoungie's here. I'm not gonna leave you, baby. You're okay now," Jinyoung repeated on loop as he pulled the baby into his arms and held them close to his chest.

The child's wailing is reduced to soft whimpers as they start to calm down, clutching Jinyoung's shirt with their little hands. Jinyoung checks the stroller for any spare diapers or even a onesie but there was nothing there. This baby wasn't lost, it was abandoned. Like Yunho and so many other children that lived in the center before they were sent out into the harsh cruel world.

Jinyoung walked back to his car and placed the baby on its back in the front seat so he could get a good look at it. He was quick to remove its wet clothes and thanked the heavens for making him forget to give the spare diapers and footies he bought for the twins. But as he was removing the soiled clothes, he noticed that there was a name sewn into the fabric of the baby's onesie.

"Kim Yugyeom. Your name is Yugyeom?" he asked the sweet boy who was trying his very best to fit his foot in his mouth.

Jinyoung cleaned the Yugyeom to the best of his ability before strapping him into the back seat as safely as possible and driving very slowly towards his house.

"I won't keep you. I just need to fix you up a little more before I take you to the center tomorrow. You'll be okay, Yugyeomie," said Jinyoung. Praying to his lucky stars that he wouldn't get more attached to the child than he already was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this is only the stuff everyone's already read but new content will hopefully be up next week. Again, so sorry for the confusion. Please continue to read this in the future and excuse any mistakes.   
> Peace!


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